93670 - Topics In International Politics

Learning outcomes

After an introduction on the main theories of international relations (i.e. realism, liberalism, constructivism) and on some key concepts such as the balance of power and hegemony, the course examines some of the most important issues of current international affairs. In particular, it explores a series of empirical phenomena and themes such as inter-state wars, civil conflicts, peace building, conflict resolution, terrorism, and drone warfare. At the end of the course, students are expected to understand the fundamental aspects and the distinctive elements of a variety of issues in the current world. Finally, students will be able to apply complex theoretical tools to the empirical reality.

Course contents

This course offers an introduction to the study of some of the major security issues in the contemporary world. In particular, it explores a series of empirical phenomena and themes in light of the most important concepts and theories in international relations theory. Students are expected to learn why countries go to war as well as why groups use terrorism. They will also acquire knowledge on nuclear proliferation, the prospects and pitfalls of military intervention, and on the role of technology and robotics (from nuclear weapons to unmanned drones) in threatening and strengthening the international order. At the end of the course, students are expected to understand the fundamental aspects and the distinctive elements of a variety of security issues in the current world. Finally, students will be able both to examine security threats and to devise the most appropriate policy response.

Readings/Bibliography

1. Introduction

- No reading.

2. Security: Concepts, Threats, and Risk

Whose security matters? Broadening the concept of security and assessing the relationship between threats, perceptions, and policy responses.

Rothschild, Emma. 1995. “What Is Security?” Daedalus 124(3): 53–98.

Mueller, John, and Mark G. Stewart. 2021. “Terrorism and Bathtubs: Comparing and Assessing the Risks.” Terrorism and Political Violence33(1): 138–163.

3. Armed Conflict: Patterns, Measurement, and Trends

The changing geography and lethality of organized violence; conflict definitions, measurement, and the limitations of casualty data.

Davies, Shawn, Therése Pettersson, and Magnus Öberg. 2026. “Organized Violence 1989–2025, and Violent Political Protests.” Journal of Peace Research 63(4): 705–723.

4. The End of the Liberal International Order

The foundations of international order, the role of American power, and competing explanations of the crisis of liberal internationalism.

Mearsheimer, John J. 2019. “Bound to Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Liberal International Order.” International Security43(4): 7–50.

5. Power Politics: The Strong Do What They Can and the Weak Suffer What They Must

Power asymmetries, insecurity, and the possibilities and limits of cooperation.

Thucydides. “The Melian Dialogue.” The Peloponnesian War, Book V, sections 84–116.

6. Power Transitions and Historical Analogies

Rising powers, established powers, and the use of historical analogies to understand contemporary strategic competition.

Allison, Graham. 2015. “The Thucydides Trap: Are the U.S. and China Headed for War?” The Atlantic, September 24.

- Kirshner, Jonathan. 2019. “Handle Him with Care: The Importance of Getting Thucydides Right.” Security Studies28(1): 48–73.

7. On the Ontology of War

No reading

8. Why Wars Occur: Bargaining and Its Failures

Private information, incentives to misrepresent, commitment problems, and the bargaining model of war.

Fearon, James D. 1995. “Rationalist Explanations for War.” International Organization 49(3): 379–414.

9. Nuclear Strategy: Deterrence, Coercion, and Escalation

The development of nuclear strategy

Freedman, Lawrence. 1986. “The First Two Generations of Nuclear Strategists.” In Makers of Modern Strategy from Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age, edited by Peter Paret, 735–778. Princeton University Press.

10. Nuclear Proliferation: Causes and Consequences

Why states acquire nuclear weapons and whether proliferation increases or reduces the likelihood of war.

Sagan, Scott D., and Kenneth N. Waltz. 2003. The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: A Debate Renewed. 2nd ed. W. W. Norton. Chapters 1–2.

11. Midterm Examination

No reading.

12. Civil Wars: Causes, Dynamics, and Internationalization

The historical transformation of civil wars, their underlying causes, and the interaction between domestic and international dynamics.

Kalyvas, Stathis N. 2011. “The Changing Character of Civil Wars, 1800–2009.” In The Changing Character of War, edited by Hew Strachan and Sibylle Scheipers, 202–219. Oxford University Press. Chapter 11.

Cederman, Lars-Erik, and Manuel Vogt. 2017. “Dynamics and Logics of Civil War.” Journal of Conflict Resolution61(9): 1992–2016.

13. Terrorism: Definitions

Defining terrorism, distinguishing actors from tactics, and explaining the strategic uses of violence against civilians.

“The United States Is a Leading Terrorist State: An Interview with Noam Chomsky.” Monthly Review, November 1, 2001.

Alex P. Schmid, Defining Terrorism, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, marzo 2023.

14. Terrorism: Strategies and Political Effects

- Freedman, Lawrence. 2007. “Terrorism as a Strategy.” Government and Opposition 42(3): 314–339.

- Kydd, Andrew H., and Barbara F. Walter. 2006. “The Strategies of Terrorism.” International Security 31(1): 49–80.

15. Insurgency and Counterinsurgency

Asymmetric conflict, political commitment, population protection, and the limits of military superiority.

Mack, Andrew. 1975. “Why Big Nations Lose Small Wars: The Politics of Asymmetric Conflict.” World Politics27(2): 175–200.

Zambernardi, Lorenzo. 2010. “Counterinsurgency’s Impossible Trilemma.” The Washington Quarterly 33(3): 21–34.

16. Drone Warfare: Distance, Risk, and Political Control

Remote warfare, the distribution of risk, and the strategic and ethical implications of reducing combatants’ exposure to violence.

Gartzke, Erik. 2021. “Blood and Robots: How Remotely Piloted Vehicles and Related Technologies Affect the Politics of Violence.” Journal of Strategic Studies 44(7): 983–1013.

Chamayou, Grégoire. 2015. Drone Theory. Translated by Janet Lloyd. Penguin. Selected excerpts.

17. Artificial Intelligence and Military Decision-Making

AI and military innovation; autonomous weapons, decision-support systems, human control, and the risks of unintended harm.

Horowitz, Michael C. 2018. “Artificial Intelligence, International Competition, and the Balance of Power.” Texas National Security Review 1(3): 36–57.

Blanchard, Alexander, and Laura Bruun. 2025. Autonomous Weapon Systems and AI-enabled Decision Support Systems in Military Targeting: A Comparison and Recommended Policy Responses. SIPRI.

18. Gaza: War Aims, Civilian Violence, and Political Outcomes

The October 7 attacks and the war in Gaza; competing assessments of strategic objectives, civilian destruction, and political outcomes.

Byman, Daniel. 2024. “A War They Both Are Losing: Israel, Hamas and the Plight of Gaza.” Survival 66(3): 61-78.

Levite, Ariel E., and Jonatan Shimshoni. 2024. “Israel in Gaza: The Quicksand of Societal War.” Survival 66(6)

19. War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and Genocide

Conceptual and legal distinctions, evidence and intent, and the relationship between scholarly interpretation and judicial determination.

Shaw, Martin. 2013. Genocide and International Relations: Changing Patterns in the Transitions of the Late Modern World. Cambridge University Press. Chapter 9.

Malešević, Siniša, and Lea David. 2026. “Organized Callousness: Gaza and the Sociology of War.” Journal of Genocide Research 28(2): 320–340. First published online May 11, 2025.

 

20. Final Examination

No reading.

Teaching methods

Lectures

Assessment methods

Attending students: two written exams (3 questions in each exam) during the course

Non-attending students: written (from 5 to 10 questions depending on the nature of the questions) and oral exams

Non-attending students must study also one of the following books:

Zambernardi, Lorenzo, Life, Death, and the Western Way of War, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2022.

Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman, Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy (2023).

Teaching tools

Power Point, Video Clips

Office hours

See the website of Lorenzo Zambernardi